Why did Putin "purchase" 11,000 North Korean soldiers for the war in Ukraine? - Sergey Fursa

11 thousand Koreans. It feels like we've found another reason for despair and a sense of hopelessness. However, we need to take a closer look at this issue, and perhaps then there will be no reason to lament.

If we believe that Russians need Koreans to drastically change the situation on the front, it indicates that the situation for the Russians, who recently operated with a contingent of 500 thousand, is quite dire.

In that case, we should be glad that they have found these Koreans necessary.

If we think that everything is fine with the Russians and they have this contingent of 500 thousand, then an additional 11 thousand hungry Koreans, which is just 2 percent, will not impact anything at all.

But the question arises, why is Putin exerting so much effort to attract Koreans who won't make a difference? The North Korean dictator must have sold these souls for a very high price.

While Putin is purchasing shells on a large scale, and it’s clear why he is negotiating with North Korea about this, which certainly comes at a cost and has political ramifications worldwide, why take similar steps to attract an additional 11 thousand people? And these are not elite special forces known worldwide.

Moreover, Russians recently claimed they are hiring 30 thousand people each month. Why do they need a third of that, especially when it comes at a very high price and requires considerable effort? They don't even speak Russian. Managing these individuals will be a challenging task.

So what does this tell us?

Did Putin intend to execute a complex operation that should have a psychological impact? To showcase a coalition?

Is the myth of endless Russian resources just that—a myth? Is it crucial for them, even at a high cost, to recruit these additional 11 thousand people? And does Putin need to avoid showing weakness before the U.S. elections, preventing everyone from seeing that he has constructed a Potemkin "village" with a powerful Russian army that can advance indefinitely? Perhaps Putin is banking on a Trump victory and wants to hold on until November 6 at all costs, ensuring that no one observes the exhaustion of both his economy and his army?